It’s foolish.
I do it anyway.
He barely moves, but he notices.
His jaw flexes. His shoulders go taut.
"That’s all?" I push him again. Harder. "You’re the great Dreadlord, aren’t you? Should I start trembling?"
It is reckless. Stupid. Dangerous.
But he’s been avoiding me.
And I need him to stop and look at me clearly. I shouldn’t even be asking this but everything that’s happening around me—the rumors, the murmurs and the life I’ve taken is taking a toll on me.
A flicker of something dark flashes in his gaze.
Something I should be afraid of.
But I’m not.
He moves.
Fast.
His fingers wrap around my wrist before I can react. He jerks me forward—too close, too fast.
A gasp barely escapes before I collide against his chest.
"You are pushing me," he murmurs, voice like velvet over steel. "Do you want to see what happens when I break?"
His fingers tighten. Not painful, but firm. Unyielding.
I should back down.
Instead, I strike first.
My free hand slams against his ribs.
It’s not a soft, weak thing—it’s a real hit. A real challenge. A real fight.
He exhales, low and sharp.
And he grins.
He fucking grins.
Something dangerous flickers in his silver eyes.
His grip shifts, and before I can react, he pulls—too fast, too hard.
I twist. My back slams against the table, my breath knocked out in an instant.
But I don’t stop.
I lift my knee—aiming for his side.
He blocks it.